Stuffed Eggplant Roast

Ingredients:

1/4 kg purple brinjals, wash, make + quarters with stalk intact

small lemon sized tamarind, extract pulp

1 1/4 tbsps oil

For stuffing:

1 large onion, sliced

4-5 garlic cloves

1″ cinnamon stick

1 tsp red chilli pwd

1 tsp coriander pwd

1 1/2 tsps ghee or soft butter

1/2 – 1 tbsp grated jaggery or sugar (adjust)

salt to taste

For poppu/tadka/seasoning:

1/4 tsp methi seeds

a sprig of curry leaves

Method of preparation:

1 Add 1 tsp oil in a cooking vessel, add garlic and cinnamon stick and saute for a few seconds. Add the sliced onions and saute till rawness disappears. Approx 4-5 mts. Keep aside to cool.
2 Once cool, make a coarse paste. Remove the paste into bowl, add salt to taste, red chilli pwd, jaggery, coriander pwd and ghee. Combine well and stuff the brinjals with this paste.
2 Add the remaining oil in a vessel, add curry leaves and toss them for a few seconds. Add the methi seeds and let them turn brown. Place the stuffed brinjals in the oil and cook on medium high flame for 2 mts. Now, cover with lid and let them cook on medium low flame for 12-14 mts. Keep checking in between and stir fry to ensure they don’t burn or stick to the pan.
3 Add the tamarind extract along with a cup of water. Bring to a boil and reduce flame and place lid and cook over low flame for 13-15 mts. The water content should reduce.
Remove lid and cook over low flame and let the brinjals roast well and it appears like a dry saute (mudda kura). It should take about 8-10 mts for the brinjals to be well roasted. Turn off heat.
4 Serve with rice, pappu pulusu or sambar.